We’ve all seen it. The gym that gives the five-cent tour and then pushes for another membership can be found in every city. And – in each of those gyms you’ll find members who are dissatisfied, frustrated, aimless and looking for something more. Successful fitness facility owners and managers know that a good gym has an ideal location, top-notch equipment, first-class customer service, competitive rates, flexible hours and clean facilities. That is what it takes to make a GOOD gym. To make a GREAT gym they have to do one more thing – give you what you need and want.
If you’re like most people you probably haven’t ever made an actual list of the personal needs you want your gym to meet. However, like most people you can also say with relatively good accuracy how well your gym is meeting your needs and where they could do better. Human nature can appear to be contradictory. We may not be able to list what we want but we keep looking to satisfy our deepest needs.
Think about the products and services you like best. Chances are the businesses that deliver them to you have done their homework. They haven’t just identified a need to be met, they’ve asked many questions, done research, tested, gathered feedback, made modifications and continually focus intently on your real needs rather than your surface wants.
Countless research has been done to help fitness professionals understand the importance of doing evaluations with new members to customize a personal fitness plan. If you don’t identify goals and achieve certain outcomes, you’ll keep going to other gyms until you do. Or a more common result will happen — you’ll quit altogether. That has huge implications on individuals, social communities and the fitness culture. It is likely the main reason the fitness industry has seen relatively stagnate growth during the past few years. People need more than exercise.
Consider for a moment some life factors and the impact they would have on both a person’s overall well being and their level of fitness success:
- Family crisis or other relationship issues
- Financial concerns and difficulties
- Physical health problems, chronic illness or terminal condition
- Addictions and behavioral problems
- Stress, time constraints and demands
- Personal expectations, dissatisfaction and fears
These are broad categories for a much longer list of significant life concerns that people have.
Imagine going to a doctor who doesn’t get your full medical history. What value would a nutritionist bring if they only gave you great tasting recipes but didn’t evaluate your dietary needs. Similarly, fitness facilities fall short when they only addresses physical goals or provide programs and services that have not been specifically targeted to member needs.
A gym can help you lose weight, improve coordination, gain muscle mass, reduce your risks and even help make recreation fun for you. They have that down to a science. But – the evidence is clear that good fitness programs and services are not enough. If they don’t meet your spiritual needs it is highly unlikely that you will achieve the success you want. In fact there is a good chance any fitness accomplishments you make will not be permanent. This is now common knowledge within the fitness industry and among wellness professionals. The vast majority of fitness facilities only target the physical and in most cases totally ignore the spiritual needs of members and potential members. Why?
Several reasons exist. The most commonly cited concern gym owners and mangers express is that discussing the spiritual is a social taboo. It is politically incorrect and outside the scope of how they do business. Essentially, they fear someone won’t like it. However, according to Dr. John Boogaert and Douglas E. Noll, principles in the Fresno, California based law firm of Boogaert & Noll and authors of Sex, Politics and Religion at the Office, capitalizing on innate values creates a new competitive advantage. Boogaert, speaks on corporate leadership and strategic planning. Noll is an expert in peacemaking and conflict management. Together, they offer clear ways to open safe discussions without offending anyone or breaking any rules. What they’ve found is that, “healthy attitudes regarding sex, politics, and religion are affirmed in many of the finest organizations out there. What's even more surprising is that they have been utilizing these three powerful elements of human nature for years to create the very core of their corporate culture.” In a nutshell gym owners and managers need to quit being afraid and instead join with their members to address the spiritual needs and concerns that are clearly important to them.
[This article includes information originally presented by Brad Bloom, publisher of Faith & Fitness Magazine at Club Industry 2007.]
Another reason gyms don’t meet the spiritual needs of members is because they don’t know how and don’t invest in the proper staffing mix. It is unreasonable to expect a group fitness instructor, swim coach, programming coordinator or other specialized staff person to deliver spiritual support to members until they gain training. Few gyms recognize the opportunity they have to grow their business by having staff members develop basic skills in psychology, counseling, sociology, theology and life coaching. Continuing education in these areas for staff committed to meeting the spiritual needs of members will transform the way gyms do business. Only then will a greater percentage of the masses find that these facilities can fully meet their needs.
However, even if gyms get past unfounded fears and equip staff properly they will not meet members’ spiritual needs until they know what those needs are. To accomplish this they must ask and learn. Good gyms already gather important member data related to health, medical history, personal preferences, fitness goals and more. Understanding the spiritual motivations of members is critical to developing programs and services that will target member needs.
A spiritual survey can help both the gym and member better define motives, drivers, attitudes, roadblocks, experiences and stakeholders. Yes! Stakeholders are other people invested in the spiritual health of members. They may be other family members, friends, co-workers, professionals or existing and potential acquaintances.
Spiritual surveys aren’t difficult to develop but they do need to be designed so that they are neither abrasive to the sensibilities of members nor impotent in their ability to gather real and relevant information. Beyond the design of the survey, a gym’s staff needs some basic training in effective communication skills. While a poorly executed survey could set off alarms in the minds of members, a well-executed survey will establish the gyms reputation and commitment to excellence.
Almost every gym has decent equipment, sufficient hours and a staff that can get the job done. But – if you’re going through a divorce, battling an addiction, enduring grief, struggling to make life work right or dealing with some other spiritual concern you need something more. Feeling the burn in your muscles doesn’t distract from the sting of heartache. Loosing weight doesn’t mean you’ll gain confidence. Reducing your risk for heart attack or disease isn’t the total solution to increasing peace of mind. Until these and other spiritual needs are identified and then met you and other members will not achieve total wellness. Until gyms recognize and then execute the expanded role they must serve they will not grow their membership like they could.
In most cities there are several gyms from which you can choose. Do your own survey and find one that will give you a spiritual survey and then deliver services and provide care based upon it.
Brad Bloom is the publisher of Faith & Fitness Magazine. He provides leadership to organizations that are eager to deliver “intimate care” and fuel the passion of their members. He helps businesses become innovative communities through the use of social technologies. His concepts are defining new directions for the lifestyle industry. Brad consults with gyms and churches and presents at national conferences. In October 2007 he presented TAP INTO THE SPIRITUAL MOTIVATION OF YOUR MEMBERS at Club Industry in Chicago. Contact him at brad@faithandfitness.net
